Tiles with spirit

Sunan Gunungjati (1448–1580), one of the Wali Songo, or Nine Javanese Apostles of Islam died close to Cirebon and his tomb is still one of the remaining spiritual places on Java. The tomb site reminded me of Sufi places I visited in Pakistan where a more tolerant version of Islam is being taught.   

Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, October 2009.

Safety more than a gender issue

Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, October 2009.

Medicine lady

Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, October 2009.

Batik stamps

Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, October 2009.

Follow the Muslim Missionaries

Wali Songo

Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, October 2009.

Java man

Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, October 2010.

Welcome

Cirebon, Java, Indonesia, October 2009.

Big lighters for big smokers

Indonesia is one of the leading per capita smoking nations.

Jakarta, January 2010.

Batavia

Batavia, Jakarta, November 2009.

Vehicle race Jakarta

Jakarta, December 2009.

Masseur

Jakarta, January 2010.

Batak wedding

Batak tradition is always there.

Jakarta, February 2010.

Jakarta survival kid

Jakarta is located in the wrong time zone! The morning prayer call starts at 4:10AM in the winter and around 4:40AM in the summer. Much too early for a modern life where work starts between 8AM to 9AM. If you plan to move to Jakarta or most of the other parts of Indonesia you may need ear plugs. Prayer calls are usually noisy and not part of a 'quality control system'. You may hear very unholy sounds (not only because of substandard loudspeakers) and lot's of croaking depending on the ability of the muezzin. Compared to Arabic countries I found less talented مؤذن in Indonesia.

Wayang Orang Bharata on stage

Scenes from the story of Harjuna Wiwaha, part of the Indian epic Mahabharata.

Jakarta, February 2010.

Wayang Orang Bharata

Behind the scene.

Punakawan (two of the five jokers)

One of the nine fairies.

Arjuna's smile.

Jakarta, Indonesia, February 2010.

Buy me a cobra please

Jakarta, March 2010.

Chinese man

Jakarta, March 2010.

Making music

Jakarta, March 2010.

Kampung inner city Jakarta

Innercity life.

Jakarta, March 2010.

Learning to walk

Cirebon, West-Java, October 2009.